Piracy, terrorism and geopolitical tensions have presented persistent threats to commercial shipping in 2019. Despite states’ increased focus on securing shipping routes, the overall number of maritime incidents continues to fluctuate, and has declined only marginally over the past year.
Globally, indigenous populations have been severely affected by environmental degradation and pollution, often caused by companies which operate commercial extraction projects on land historically claimed by these communities.
In 2019, there were an average of more than 9,700 aircrafts in the air – transporting over 1.2 million people – at any given moment. As international travel often brings passengers to new destinations, they may face unfamiliar security dynamics. In fact, in 2019, 68 percent of tourists ranked security threats as their primary concern – above geopolitical…
Active assailant incidents, in which the attacker targets their victims in an arbitrary manner, understandably attract high levels of media attention when they occur at schools. While several such incidents have taken place in recent years including in 2019, they continue to be relatively rare occurrences.
The extractive industry – including mining, oil and gas exploration, dredging and quarrying – is one of the most vulnerable to kidnapping and extortion. Looking ahead to 2020, these industries’ often remote operating locations with limited rule of law, and the perception of industry actors as lucrative targets, are likely to persist as key factors contributing…
Violent demonstrations and widespread anger over perceived socio-economic inequalities have driven the most disruptive period of unrest in Chile in the past 30 years. Erin Drake considers the potential for these demonstrations to descend into a sustained insurrection against the Sebastián Piñera government.
While a recent call to remobilise has raised concerns of renewed FARC attacks in Colombia, a return to widescale kidnap for ransom as a source of funding is uncertain. Factionalism within FARC creates ambiguity about the group’s leadership and, as a result, its overall objectives and preferred tactics, writes Lenoy Barkai.
The mutually-beneficial relationship between terrorist organisations and the criminal underworld is well documented. For several decades, these outlawed groups have crossed paths across the globe. Now, with the fall of the Islamic State – once the richest terrorist organisation in the world – S-RM’s analysis team delve into the latest dynamics of the…
After former FARC commanders denounced Colombia’s historic peace deal and called for the return to armed struggle, militant activity in the country faces a possible resurgence. Lenoy Barkai assesses the drivers and security implications of this latest challenge to Colombia’s peace-building efforts
Amid countrywide power blackouts and subsidy cuts, Argentinians have mobilised against the government’s austerity measures, shutting down commercial operations and public services through mass-demonstrations. Erin Drake explores the growing anti-austerity movement and its potential to devolve into widespread civil unrest.
In this article, we examine three cases from around the world which highlight where and under what conditions police will turn to kidnap for ransom either directly or in cooperation with organised criminal groups.
In the Northern Triangle — comprising Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — violent extortion is endemic, affecting public and private sectors alike. Erin Drake reviews the drivers of extortion and the threat it poses to companies operating in this region.